NEW DELHI:India and Qatar on Wednesday signed six pacts and held talks on enhanced cooperation in defence, security and trade, even as New Delhi sought help to track down the 39 Indian hostages in Iraq.
It was following the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani that the agreements,which included one for exchange of sentenced prisoners, were inked.
India wanted Qatar’s help in rescuing the hostages in Mosul, who have still not been traced since they were abducted last year.
MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said that the Qatari Emir told the Prime Minister that he trusted the Indian economy and vision for the development of the country.
And Al Thani promised to set up an institutional mechanism for identifying the areas of interest to invest in India.
India flagged sectors of defence, railways and highways, on which Qatar can expect secure returns on its investments.
Besides, the PM outlined his vision of Make in India for defence and conveyed to the visiting dignitary that India was serious in enhancing defence production, which will enable it to provide armaments to its partners.
Modi also brought up the issue of the Indian companies’ keenness to expand their involvement in various infrastructure projects as the Gulf nation was scheduled to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.